Golf putter sighting device

ABSTRACT

A golf putter sighting device having a housing which will slide over the head of a golf club and utilizing a biasing element for securing the housing on the club and a mirror secured to and projecting upwardly at an angle from the housing wherein a golfer can align the club face to a hole by merely sighting the hole via the mirror.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,810,633 Scott, III. May 14, 1974 [541 GOLF PUTTER SIGHTING DEVICE 2,503,506 4/1950 Miller 273/183 1) Inventor: y M. t 7 Pa k Ave. 3,273,891 9/l966 Grim 273/183 D NO. Omaha Nebr' 68105 Primary Examiner-Ge0rge J. Marlo [22] Filed: Apr. 3, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Henderson & Strom [2]] Appl. No.: 353,628

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S, Cl. 273/133 1), 273/194 A, 273/163 R A golf putter sighting device having a housing which 51 Int. Cl. A63b 69/36, A63b 53/00 will Slide over the head of a golf cluband utilizing a 58 Field of Search 273/162, 163, 164,193, biasing element for Securing the housing on the club 273/194 3 1 3 and a mirror secured to and projecting upwardly at an angle from the housing wherein a golfer can align the [56] References Cit d club face to a hole by merely sighting the hole via the UNITED STATES PATENTS mmor' 2,463,200 3/1949 Pitzer 273/163 A 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GOLF PUTTER SIGHTING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The game of golfing has as its goal the sinking of a ball in a cup or hole in as few strokes as possible starting at a distance hundreds of feet from the cup. The game has two phases. Drives and approach shots get the ball to the vicinity of the cup. Precision hitting, known as putting, is then utilized once the ball has reached the region called a green, a finely manicured stretched of. lawn immediately surrounding the cup.

Putting is perhaps the most critical and detailed phase of the game. A microscopic mistake may leave the ball needlessly on the edge of the cup and undo the advantages gained in two or three previous strokes. Therefore, putters tend to go to great extremes to do everything possible to make a successfull putt, including getting down on the ground to obtain a sighting of the terrain at the balls level and to plot out optimum routes for the ball.

Swinging the club in a manner so as to arrive at the predetermined route is the next crucial action. Numerous devices have been employed to help the putter align his swing to the desired route. The use ofa mirror mounted on the head of the club has been especially popular during practice for purposes of alignment of the swing. The mirror has been, in some devices, mounted to the shaft of the club, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,198,525 and 2,822,614. In other devices, the mirror has been clamped onto the head of the club, U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,500. Some devices have been provided wherein the mirror is built right into the club, thus creating a new kind of golf club, U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,912.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention consists of an attachment to substantially any golf club which will, in one easy step, mount a mirror onto the head of a golf club.

It is an object of this invention to provide a quick mounting mirror to the head of a golf club.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple mounting device which any one can easily apply, even the most unmechanically oriented or uncoordinated golf putter. I

A third object of this invention is to provide a sighting device whereby a golfer may be made simultaneously aware of both the direction of his drive and also the impact surface of his object to be struck.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mirror instantly adjusted to a 47 angle with respect to the ground so as to provide a putter standing directly above a ball a view of the terrain directly in front of his club and in the direction of his swing, parallel to the surface of the green.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment which will mount to any size golf club.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mounting which will be secure enough to ensure that the attachment will remain on the club even after stroking the club, while accommodating a relatively large mirror.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an attachment which can support any of a number of direcrional devices to aid a golfer in perfecting his golf swing.

Another object is to provide an attachment wherein if the mirror becomes broken, it'may'be quickly and easily replaced with a standard mirror already available on the market.

Still another object of this invention is the-provision of a novel golf putter sighting'device'which is economical of manufacture, simple of construction and extremely effective in use.

These objects, and other features and advantages'of this invention .will become readily apparent upon reference to the following description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf putter sighting device of this invention; 7

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the device; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the golf putter sighting device of this invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1, as it would be mounted on a golf club 11. The club 11 includes a shaft 12 having a club head 13 secured to one end thereof. Removably mounted over the head 13 is the sighting device 10, which includes a housing 14, a mirror 16 and a biasing element 17.

The housing 14 (FIGS. 2 4) has a rectangularly shaped base wall 18, a substantially vertically disposed front wall 19 and a rear wall 21. The base wall 18 is horizontally disposed when the housing is secured to the club, with the upper surface thereof in juxtaposition with the bottom surface of the club head. Secured to the forward longitudinal edge 22 of the base wall 18 is the front wall 19 which projects upwardly therefrom at approximately 87 to accommodate the slight slope of the putter face. An opening 23 is formed in the front wall wherein when the housing 14 is secured to the club head the face 24 of the club will be substantially exposed, thus permitting a ball, not shown, to be struck thereby. Normally disposed to the base wall 18 and secured to the rearward longitudinal edge 26 thereof is the rear wall 21. The upper portions 27 and 28 of of the front wall 19 and rear wall 21 respectively are a'ngularly inclined and converge to form a. top wall 20. At the area of convergence the front and rear walls are secured together by holding pins 29, such as rivets. Thus, in end elevational view, the top wall 20 appears as an inverted V. However the housing walls could be integrally formed as by molding or the like.

The front wall upper portion 27, also serves as a mirror holding unit 31 and extends upwardly from the area of convergence (FIG. 3) to provide a backing for the mirror 16. Secured to the mirror holding unit 31 by the rivets 29 is the mirror 16. To provide the proper angle of the mirror to the horizontal and to sight along the ground when standing directly over the mirror holding unit 31 or the mirror should be disposed at an angle of at least 47 to the horizontal.

The area formed between the base wall 18 (FIG. 3), the front wall 19, the rear wall 21 and the converging upper portions 27 and 28 of the front and rear walls provide a chamber 32 in which the club head 13 seats. Secured to the rear wall 21 oppositethe opening 23 by a holding element 33 is the biasing element 17, such as a helical spring. ,It will be noted in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the spring 17 is disposedcompletely in the chamber 32 and substantially projects from the rear wall to the front wall. The chamber 32 is also open on both ends thus permitting the housing to be mounted on either a right hand or a left hand club.

in operation the club head 13 is inserted into the chamber 32 from either side with the face 24 of the club head against the inside surface of the front wall and with the forward end of the spring 17 disposed against the rear wall of the club head, thus biasing the club face 24 against the front wall.

l claim:

1. A golf putter sighting device for removable mounting over a club head of a golf club, the sighting device comprising:

an open ended housing having a chamber formed longitudinally therethrough for removably receiving a club head of a golf club therein, and an opening formed therein which substantially exposes the face of the club head when disposed in said chamber;

biasing means disposed in said chamber to hold the club;

a mirror holding unit secured to said housing; and

a mirror secured to said holding unit and disposed at an angle of at least 47 to the horizontal.

2. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 1 said housing having a horizontally disposed base wall, a front wall having said opening formed therein, said front wall secured to said base wall and projecting substantially vertically therefrom, a rear wall secured to said base wall and projecting substantially vertically therefrom, and a top wall interconnecting said front wall and said rear wall; wherein said walls form said chamber.

3. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said biasing means is a helical spring having a base end secured to said rear wall and having a free end which projects toward said opening wherein when the club head is disposed in said chamber said free end is disposed against the rear wall of the club head and forces the club face against said front wall.

4. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 3 wherein said top wall is formed from an extension of said front wall and said rear wall, with said front wall extension angularly inclined to said front wall and said rear wall extension angularly inclined to said rear wall wherein said extensions converge and are secured together proximate the area of convergence.

5. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 4 wherein said front wall extension extends beyond the area of convergence to form said mirror holding unit.

6. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 5 wherein said front wall is disposed at an angle of ap proximately 87 to said base wall.

7. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said mirror holding unit is disposed at approximately 47 to the horizontal. 

1. A golf putter sighting device for removable mounting over a club head of a golf clUb, the sighting device comprising: an open ended housing having a chamber formed longitudinally therethrough for removably receiving a club head of a golf club therein, and an opening formed therein which substantially exposes the face of the club head when disposed in said chamber; biasing means disposed in said chamber to hold the club; a mirror holding unit secured to said housing; and a mirror secured to said holding unit and disposed at an angle of at least 47* to the horizontal.
 2. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 1 said housing having a horizontally disposed base wall, a front wall having said opening formed therein, said front wall secured to said base wall and projecting substantially vertically therefrom, a rear wall secured to said base wall and projecting substantially vertically therefrom, and a top wall interconnecting said front wall and said rear wall; wherein said walls form said chamber.
 3. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said biasing means is a helical spring having a base end secured to said rear wall and having a free end which projects toward said opening wherein when the club head is disposed in said chamber said free end is disposed against the rear wall of the club head and forces the club face against said front wall.
 4. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 3 wherein said top wall is formed from an extension of said front wall and said rear wall, with said front wall extension angularly inclined to said front wall and said rear wall extension angularly inclined to said rear wall wherein said extensions converge and are secured together proximate the area of convergence.
 5. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 4 wherein said front wall extension extends beyond the area of convergence to form said mirror holding unit.
 6. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 5 wherein said front wall is disposed at an angle of approximately 87* to said base wall.
 7. A golf putter sighting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said mirror holding unit is disposed at approximately 47* to the horizontal. 